Going Away
by Vanilla Fox
Summary: Fuji's in the hospital, seriously sick. Tezuka needs to confess, but it might be too late... Fuji might be going away...(MR, OE, IK on the side) Chap 6 up! Kill me- I know im late
1. Anaemia

~ Going Away ~ A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic  
  
Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]  
  
Pairings: TEZFUJI FOREVER!! ^_^ Also, Inui-Kaidoh, and Oishi-Eiji... But hints only. Sorry! ^.^"  
  
Disclaimer: All this do not belong to me, I'm not making any profit form this. I'm not even sure if the plot is mine! ^.^  
  
Summary: There's something wrong with Fuji... and Tezuka wants to know what. But everything only goes downhill from then on. Will he be able to see Fuji again?  
  
Notes: This is my first ever Teni Puri fic, and actually, I've only watched until the fourth episode. ~.~ Yet I know so much... Don't ask how. Please, don't hold back on the criticism, I just want to improve this fic. It's probably going to be only three chapters long. And (if) you want more, I can type out a few more plots that've been brewing in my head. *cackles evilly*  
  
"16 more laps!" Tezuka ordered everyone, as he jogged past the tired non- regulars. Behind him, the other regulars kept up, jogging past the younger students. He was about to tell the lagging students to hurry up, however, as he turned to watch the others, he caught sight of an extremely- almost scarily (if anything scared Tezuka) pale Fuji. The prodigy was panting hard, and obviously was in no condition to run 16 more laps- or to run any more, in the first place. So, he stopped.  
  
The rest of the team knew not to question him as he pulled Fuji aside, but Oishi cast him worried looks, and Inui jotted down in his notebook. (While jogging?!) As he pulled the tired- but keeping up- tensai away, they boy's smile immediately covered his previously tired and pained expression. But it was still obvious that something was wrong, as the prodigy panted heavily.  
  
Tezuka frowned at this. The other senior usually liked to run, and would even continue running with him once everyone else was over- maybe an extra ten laps or so. But now... "You've been paler than usual recently." He stated, letting the boy know that he knew something was up. There was no smart reply unlike usual, the prodigy just continued panting. But was it just him, or for a moment, did the boy's smile falter and turn into a grimace? He wasn't sure.  
  
He waited patiently as for about five minutes, Fuji just sat there and panted. Later on, the boy just took a deep breath, and weakly, stood up, facing Tezuka with his usual smile. "It's nothing, Tezuka... I just probably forgot to warm up, or something. Thank you for waiting for me, I'll continue my laps now..." He murmured, stretching his legs. He began to run again, but Tezuka held him back. "Sa... I'll wait for you, is your shoelace untied?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about." He said matter-of-factly, eyeing the other boy warily. He may be the captain, but that didn't mean that Fuji wasn't daring enough to challenge him. Fuji merely sighed. And shocking him with a once-in-a-blue-moon serious tone, Fuji started as he jogged away.  
  
"It's nothing, I've just been having some problems with medicine lately. I'll be alright though, I've seen a doctor... But, Tezuka..." Fuji cut himself off, as his face started to get paler. Tezuka didn't even think as his hand shot out and steadied the boy. "I-I'm alright... Just a bit dizzy."  
  
"You're excused."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're excused form practice today, go see a doctor."  
  
That smile again, the pained one that was currently appearing more frequently than Tezuka would want. "I'm alright, Tezuka I-"  
  
"Fuji!"  
  
He ran forward to catch the slumping boy, who fell forward into him, breathing heavily, and this time, certainly pale. Not even thinking much, Tezuka carried the frail boy, and ran to the school infirmary.  
  
"Fuji-kun." He intoned, as the younger Fuji came out, still in his St Rudolph's uniform.  
  
The boy looked at him in surprise, as if not noticing that he had been waiting (quite anxiously) outside the door. "Tezuka-san." He greeted back, bowing slightly.  
  
Tezuka nodded, and motioned for the boy to sit down as he himself did the same. "How is Fuji? What happened to him?" He asked, trying not to let the worry show in his voice. Much.  
  
Yuuta looked up at him, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry that he didn't tell any of you. Aniki still wanted to be treated as an equal... Now I'm feeling guilty I wasn't there. Damn!" The lowerclassmen looked down, fisting his hands tightly. "Aniki... He suffers from Anaemia. But despite the illness, he continues to play tennis..." Yuuta said, closing his eyes and looking away. "He- he was so strong, hiding all he felt beneath that smile... He had a treatment a year back, we knew it wasn't gone yet, but...-Excuse me, Tezuka- san." He said quickly, almost choking on the last word, and walking swiftly away.  
  
Tezuka sat there, with his usual stoic expression, or as anyone who didn't know him well enough would think. Oishi, who just arrived, saw the worry in his friends' eyes- the slight widening of surprise, the slight furrow of brows that signified his frustration and confusion. Sighing, Oishi simply sat beside his captain, looking ahead, into the infirmary, where a curtain of yellow blocked any view of Fuji.  
  
"I heard... Are you alright, Tezuka?" He asked, concerned, as usual, but even more concerned now.  
  
Only a curt nod came from Tezuka, his face wiped away of any expression now. His mouth was set in a straight line, as he stood up and entered the infirmary. Oishi could do nothing but sit there, and sigh. When was Tezuka going to admit it to Fuji that he liked the tensai very much? Tezuka was already getting geared to tell him- Oishi thought, Then, this happens. He sighed again, and stood up to walk away, when he heard a familiar 'Nya...' behind him.  
  
The sad miaow came from his doubles partner, who smiled at him sadly. "Don't worry, Oishi-kun... I'm pretty sure, that he will go through this. Buchou is strong." Then, his attention got diverted to the scene outside. "Waaai! They're starting to play already!! Let's go, Oishi-kun!!" He shouted, dragging the now smiling vice-captain away. Eiji would never fail to cheer him up.  
  
"Fuji?" Tezuka whispered, pushing the curtain out of his way.  
  
Only a mere movement- an almost undetectable nod- came from the bed, where an extremely pale boy lay. "They said that the ambulance is coming soon... Take care of yourself... I- We're going to visit you at the hospital once we can."  
  
"..."  
  
An uncomfortable silence for Tezuka wove itself around them, only to be broken by Fuji's weak voice. "Ma... That would be nice." He whispered, and took a deep breath. "Sorry for the trouble..."  
  
"It wasn't any trouble... Just get well again soon."  
  
"Tezu-"  
  
"Aniki! The ambulance is here- Tezuka-san..." Yuuta said, surprised.  
  
"Take care." Tezuka told his team member, standing up and walking away, bowing to Yuuta on his way out.  
  
*** To Be Continued ***  
  
A/N: Was that too mean an ending? Are there even people reading this?! I'm so sorry if it was bad, but- I PROMISE! I'm going to make it better the next chapter, which is going to be WAAAAAY longer. Maybe twice the length? I hope so...  
  
Please R&R!! Vanilla Fox 


	2. Repercussions

Going Away A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic  
  
Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]  
  
Pairings: TEZFUJI FOREVER!! Also, Inui-Kaidoh, and Oishi-Eiji... But hints only. Sorry! ."  
  
Disclaimer: All this do not belong to me, I'm not making any profit form this. I'm not even sure if the plot is mine! .  
  
Summary: There's something wrong with Fuji... and Tezuka wants to know what. But everything only goes downhill from then on. Will he be able to see Fuji again?  
  
Notes: Yay! I got 5 reviews!! It was more than expected, but the summary needs fixing up... I've changed it. Hm... It seems a bit odd, writing in a new section... I just want to tell anyone who's reviewing this, to please, tell me whether you'd want this to be happy ending or not.  
  
Last Chapter:  
  
"It wasn't any trouble... Just get well again soon."  
  
"Tezu-"  
  
"Aniki! The ambulance is here- Tezuka-san..." Yuuta said, surprised.  
  
"Take care." Tezuka told his team member, standing up and walking away, bowing to Yuuta on his way out.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"You! Stop fighting right now! Ten laps!" Tezuka snapped at two boys roughhousing near the nets.  
  
As the two boys did as they were ordered, Inui jotted something down on his notebook. He watched Tezuka as the third-year glared at anything and everything that came even close to annoying him. "Buchou seems to be in a really bad mood today." Kawamura stated from beside the data specialist as he chugged down some water. His racket was currently in Ryoma's possession as the freshman waited for his practice partner to return.  
  
"Nya. It's been like this for two days, since..." Eiji began, but stopped and looked down as images of that same, tired person that was his best friend surfaced before his mind's eye.  
  
"Since Fuji fell ill and was hospitalised," Inui began, attracting everyone's attention. "His patience has been lowered by 34.6%, and leniency, by 67%. It seems that he repeatedly glances 45 degrees west, towards the benches, every now and then, in irregular intervals. After doing so, he looks angry, disappointed, or sad. Previous reports mention that Fuji's favourite place to rest was over there."  
  
"He's just worried about Fuji. Nobody knew that he was anaemic, but I think he blames himself for not checking member's medical records." Oishi murmured, patting Eiji on the back. "Anyway, we have to go and practice now, before he tells us to run laps." Smiling softly at his doubles partner, he gave the acrobat's shoulder a soft squeeze, before picking up his racket and walking to their court. Eiji merely gave a worried glance towards his captain, before jogging after his training partner.  
  
Tezuka, meanwhile, did not notice any of these going-ons, as he surveyed the non-regulars with a critical eye. Beside him, Coach Ryuuzaki 'tsk'-ed and crossed her arms. "Don't vent your anger on them, Tezuka. They had nothing to do with Fuji's illness." Surprisingly, she noted, the stoic captain didn't even flinch, and instead, uncrossed his arms and put them into his pockets.  
  
"I'm not venting my anger on them. They know the rules. No fighting in the courts."  
  
"Aa." She replied, with a tone which clearly announced that she wasn't convinced, noticing the fact that he didn't grace her second statement with a reply. "Is that what happened with Arai? And Korowa? Hmmm?"  
  
"..."  
  
Chuckling at his refusal to answer, she was going to prod even more, to force him to confess that he was worried and guilty, when she heard the familiar ringing of her phone. (Tenipuri Ringtone. .) Fishing for her phone, she pressed the button without checking the number.  
  
"Ryuuzaki Sumire."  
  
"Ryuuzaki-sensei? This is Fuji Yuuta, Fuji Shuusuke's younger brother form St Rudolph's. I'm calling from Tokyo General, regarding my borhter. May I speak with Tezuka Kunimitsu, please?"  
  
A look on surprise on her face, she blinked several times, before his statement sunk in. "Oh! Tezuka- wait a moment, please. Tezuka, it's for you. Fuji Yuuta."  
  
With a same surprised look on his, it was all he could do to stop himself from snatching the phone form the elderly woman, who saw this, with dry amusement. If it was under different circumstances, she would've liked to tease him. Unfortunately, there were more pressing issues at hand. Listening closely, she didn't move away.  
  
"Hello. Tezuka Kunimitsu here."  
  
"Tezuka-san? It's regarding my brother... He's been admitted to Tokyo General. He's in a more stable condition now, though it's not as bad as before, he's still very tired. The doctors are doing all that they can to keep him..."  
  
"A-a." Tezuka replied, his voice beginning to crack, much to his annoyance. "Will w-we be able to visit?"  
  
"Hai. Aniki wants to see the Seigaku team, actually. But he said to tell you first."  
  
"Mmhmm... I- thank you."  
  
"Don't mention it. Would tomorrow at five be fine?"  
  
"Yeah. Thanks very much, Fuji-san."  
  
"Ah. Yuuta is alright by me. Don't mention it, Tezuka-san, see you tomorrow."  
  
"See you."  
  
Beeeep Beeeep Beeeep  
  
As he handed the phone over to the smiling, more grandmotherly Ryuuzaki, his hand shook. /They're doing all they can to keep him... Does this mean that.../ Getting rid of any negative thoughts, Tezuka simply called for a break, and told the Regulars to see him.  
  
"What is it, buchou?"  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"Was is regarding Fuji?"  
  
"...Yes." Surprised at Kikumaru's unusual sensitivity, Tezuka was taken aback for a while, before clearing his throat and beginning. "That was Fuji Yuuta. We're going to go tomorrow to see Fuji, we meet here at four thirty. He's been admitted into Tokyo General."  
  
Stunned silence covered the group, like a wet, heavy blanket.  
  
Nobody could say anything.  
  
Except for Oishi, it seemed. "Ok. I'm calling off practice now. Tezuka, go home, and take a rest. It seems you haven't slept at all in days. Eiji, tell the first years to pick up the tennis balls. Momoshiro..."  
  
Tezuka let his thoughts wander, as he walked away from the group, of which Oishi (thankfully) had taken charge of.  
  
/Fuji... I'm so sorry. I should've know, you had seemed so different, more tired. I shouldn't have pushed you... And now... You're in so much danger. I might not have another chance... I've decided. I'm going to let you know. Tomorrow .I promise./  
  
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Yuuta held back his tears as another dose of iron was injected into his aniki's system, the long syringe looking painfully long. The doctor smiled warmly at him, but it was empty, as if he had done it so many times, seen so many people get hurt, that it was becoming habit, instead of coming from his heart. And he knew how that was. Why, his brother was the prime example of such. That same empty smile, day in, and day out. He knew it was his fault, for injuring his brother by going away, but he couldn't help it, because no matter what, Shuusuke would always beat him, despite his anaemia.  
  
That was his source of hate, his fuel and drive for all those years, but now that Fuji Shuusuke was so pale and fragile, like a porcelain doll about to break, he couldn't stand to see it, and felt an utter resentment towards himself, all hate for his brother (hopefully) permanently gone.  
  
"Yuuta."  
  
The weak voice of the young prodigy snapped him out of his soliloquy, and almost immediately, he was by his elder brother's bedside. "Hai, aniki? Need anything? Are you alright?"  
  
"Y-yes." Dammit, even his voice, which was already feminine enough, now sounded so weak, and breathy. "Could you just... please, give me a glass of water?" Yuuta smiled, and nodded, handing over the liquid promptly, and even helping his brother drink it. "Thanks."  
  
Nodding slightly, the boy stood up and let his brother sleep, walking out of the room, to face the doctor, who was just coming back with test results. In his surprise, Yuuta almost bumped into him.  
  
"Doctor Kirisawa, what is it?" He asked urgently, restraining himself from tugging at the old man's sleeve like a little child.  
  
The doctor, smiling sadly, motioned for him to sit, and he did so without delay, awaiting any news of his brother's condition eagerly. "Well, it seems that Shuusuke has improved, and has recovered from that nasty state that he was in when he got here. Maybe a week or more here, and he'll be back to normal.  
  
"As you know, anaemia is a sickness resulting from iron deficiency. And it means that there will be a lack of haemoglobin in the blood, resulting in very little oxygen being carried by the bloodstream. Which is why Shuusuke's always breathing so heavily, always so tired. And... we have had all kinds of cures for this. But unfortunately, none of which are permanent, unless he goes through a bone marrow operation. That is for those who aren't that critical yet, of course. So, if your brother continues taking his medication, everything should go along smoothly, until we can find a suitable donor."  
  
Yuuta looked at the doctor, slightly pale. "B-but... That would mean... His tennis?"  
  
Doctor Kirisawa looked at him sadly, smiling in a way that was supposedly comforting. But instead, the youngest Fuji saw it as something close to sympathy... or irony. "Well, he won't be able to play much, of course. Not more than an hour of rigorous activities."  
  
"..." Yuuta bit his lip, looking thorough the doorway at his sleeping brother. "I see... Thank you, Doctor Kirisawa. I must attend to something now." He replied, spying several things he would need to bring from home to the hospital. Perhaps several books...  
  
Inside the room, Fuji stifled a sigh, but he let his smile drop, seeing the Doctor and his brother leave. He was almost guilty at this, but he couldn't help but hide, despite knowing that his brother knew his smile's emptiness, anyway. It was just getting harder to be strong, nowadays. Especially when he knew he wouldn't be able to play tennis much anymore, and that would lead to other things he'd rather not think about.  
  
It'd been painful at first, getting his doses every now and then, at regular intervals per day. But he was finally used to it, especially after administering it to himself, if not with his sister's help, these past few years. Ah, but all good things had to come to an end, and this was it. It had gotten out of control, even for a day, and his life would never be the same again. Everyone would know, that under his 'strength underneath' there was really, a weak person. And he'd never be able to keep up. Again.  
  
But that had happened at his old school... "Hgn." He shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. It only gave him a splitting headache, and though that trail of thought disappeared, another problem surfaced.  
  
The Tennis Club.  
  
He wondered, who would replace him. Perhaps Inui, but then again, when he was in the team, they were quite formidable, and he had enough confidence in his own skills to know that Seigaku Tennis Club had just lost a valuable player. Maybe he'd become manager in Inui's place... At least that would keep him in the club. And that alone would make him very happy, seeing that Tezuka wouldn't spare his time on something... or anyone useless.  
  
Fuji sighed.  
  
Stupid illness.  
  
Why me?  
  
A/N: How was it?! I hope it's ok, I didn't mean for it to take so long, and I want to thank those who reviewed. But it's my exams!! (Next week onwards would be holidays though... hehe.) And I was really sidetracked by a challenge that my friend set for me: Menstruation. Menstruation and the Tenipuri boys. See how hard it would be to write, if it wasn't supposed to be utter nonsense? sighs  
  
Anyways. I hope you do leave me a review, it would be greatly appreciated.  
  
Next Chapter: Seigaku Team's Visit... And some news.  
  
Ja-ne, Vanilla Fox. 


	3. Revelations

Going Away A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic  
  
Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]  
  
Pairings: TEZFUJI FOREVER!! Also, Inui-Kaidoh, and Oishi-Eiji... But hints only. Sorry! ."  
  
Disclaimer: All this do not belong to me, I'm not making any profit form this. I'm not even sure if the plot is mine! .  
  
Summary: Everyone has some kind of revelation... and they finally meet Fuji again. (I'm sorry, I know I said there would be news! I'm pushing that to next chapter.)  
  
Notes: laughs I think I may have just had a fic idea on torturing Ryoma and Momoshirou... But I have my exams! I can't type it up, until after! And that's two weeks from now... After which we'll have our holidays... laughs evilly and watches aforementioned couple shudder Um... PLEASE READ END NOTE.  
  
Last Chapter:  
  
He wondered, who would replace him. Perhaps Inui, but then again, when he was in the team, they were quite formidable, and he had enough confidence in his own skills to know that Seigaku Tennis Club had just lost a valuable player. Maybe he'd become manager in Inui's place... At least that would keep him in the club. And that alone would make him very happy, seeing that Tezuka wouldn't spare his time on something... or anyone useless.  
  
Fuji sighed.  
  
Stupid illness.  
  
Why me?  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Is everyone here?" Tezuka asked coldly, sending shivers down everyone's spines, as they boarded the train.  
  
It was an occurrence they wished would never happen again. Tezuka, the stoic, self-restrained Seigaku captain, was in a bad mood. And he was showing it.  
  
He had absolutely no patience, and was glaring at every single noise they made. He was in a horrible mood, and even he knew it.  
  
Tezuka sighed as he crumpled up his fourth attempt at a History essay. There was just no way to concentrate, knowing that something that he would say later, would probably change everything as they were now. And Tezuka hated it when deviations were made from routines. He lived by routines, followed them, and found comfort in the precision of executing them. Hell, he even got his yearly flu at the same time every year.  
  
All because of one event.  
  
Of one event, that was going to happen, that could ruin his life... and ironically, it was going to be caused by him.  
  
He was going to tell Fuji.  
  
How he felt, what kind of person he was... And how badly he had fallen for the prodigy.  
  
Only, he didn't know how. How was he supposed to tell his team mate that: "Oh, I'm bisexual, and I've fallen in love with you."  
  
Especially if Fuji was on the brink of going into some serious disease, which, by the way, had killed his grandmother.  
  
Tezuka could not stand it. How was he supposed to tell Fuji that he loved him?!  
  
"Tsk."  
  
And at that little sound, History Essay- attempt number five, was crumpled up, and stuffed into his bag. "Damn it."  
  
"Are you alright, buchou?" Inui asked, his eyes hiding behind his reflective glasses. At Tezuka's silence, he surmised that, no, their captain was not ok. The manager smirked at this, and scribbled something in his notebook, noting the four sheets of paper Tezuka had butchered- attempts at a History essay, he thought. And by his notes, which were hardly ever wrong, if at all, Tezuka's best, and favourite subject, was History. He smirked again.  
  
"Are you alright, Inui-senpai?"  
  
He turned around to face the questioner, smirking (quite) scarily. "Ah... Kaido. Y-yes, I'm alright." He replied, hating the sudden, though (thankfully) undetectable stutter in his reply.  
  
"Made another discovery again, haven't you? Ssssh..."  
  
He grinned wider, and this time, the mamushi noticed it, and inched away quite smartly. "Yes... Do you think, Kaido-kun, that Tezuka-buchou has been very... /sick/ these past few days? Since Fuji left, actually..."  
  
"Sshhh... Sick?" In all his time with the captain, Kaido had never seen Tezuka sick. He was just one of those kind of people who hardly fell ill. The mamushi shook his head. "I don't understand. He looks perfectly fine to me."  
  
"Tsk. Tsk." Inui tutted and leant over, making Kaido blush and almost impulsively jerk back. But he stayed where he was. Inui continued, seemingly not noticing. (But, hey, when did Inui ever miss anything?) "I meant a /different/ kind of sick, not physically... and no, he's not mental." The third year said, cutting his junior off before he could speak.  
  
Kaido's eyes widened, and a slow, small smirk grew into a grin. "I see what you mean, Inui-senpai." He murmured, leaning back and looking at his captain crumple up another piece of paper. (Number 8, if you must know.) His voice a low, conspirator whisper, he leant to put his mouth next to a blushing (but frantically trying to hide it) Inui. "Just like I was."  
  
"W-What?"  
  
Across the aisle, Osihi grinned as he spied the mamushi give their manager a little peck on the cheek, over Eiji's head, which was lying on his shoulder. For once, the energetic boy had kept quiet, and lay his head on Oishi's shoulder. Only recently had the vice captain realised that the boy had fallen asleep. There was just something about trains and Eiji...  
  
In front of them, Momoshiro and Echizen were playing blackjack with Kawamura, who was losing terribly. It was almost a fight between Echizen and his senior, as the shy sushi cook went bust every time. Oishi silently wondered whether a golden racket would make the young man play better. Somehow, he doubted Echizen and Momoshiro would be disregarding him as much as they were doing now.  
  
A static-y voice came from the sound system, interrupting his thoughts. "We are now approaching TOKYO. Please remember to take your belongings."  
  
Oishi watched as Tezuka stuffed all his discarded essays, and his pad paper, into his bag, so unlike his orderly ways. The vice captain wondered again, whether what Inui said was true. Then again, he knew that Fuji and Tezuka were close friends, but... He simply smiled to himself, catching Tezuka's voice.  
  
"...Before we arrive."  
  
"Sorry, Tezuka? I wasn't listening."  
  
The captain looked irked that the vice captain wasn't paying attention, and Oishi was wondering (Yet again!) whether the captain would make him run laps too. But he didn't. He sighed. And looked really, really, tired, like he hadn't been sleeping much, and was at the edge of his leash. (Which was true, actually...) Simply, Tezuka repeated what he had said. "Better wake Eiji up, before we reach Tokyo."  
  
"Ah."  
  
The two of them stared at each other for a while, a silent exchange of thoughts. But Tezuka turned away, and left him to rouse the sleeping redhead. What was up with Tezuka?! All three years they were friends, Oishi had never seen- better yet, known, that Tezuka could be like this, like... like... like he was some lovesick guy! And those two things just simply, didn't belong in the same sentence. Tezuka. Lovesick. Tezuka. Lovesick. Tezuka. Lovesick. Sick. Fuji. Beginning of all this. Fuji. When he fell ill.  
  
Oishi's eyes went wide, and in his shock, he said his words out loud. "NO. WAY."  
  
It seemed an effective way to wake Eiji up, a side of him thought, as the redhead jumped awake, as if he had been awake all that time... ( .) "Oishi? Oishi, are you okay? What not a way? Hey. Oishi?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine..." He replied distractedly, looking at the now standing Tezuka, his eyes wide. /What the hell? It couldn't possibly be.../ But he remembered Inui's words. Sick, but not in a physical kind of way... Since Fuji had left... He grinned, in a different way which the team had never seen before. It scared Eiji slightly to see him like that, almost scheming and evil. (An evil Oishi? No...)  
  
In a small voice, he voiced out his question again. "Oishi? Are you alright? You're scaring me..." To his annoyance, his voice did not come out as he had wanted it to be. AT ALL. Instead, it almost sounded like whimpering.  
  
But it seemed to work, and the Evil Oishi Smile ™ disappeared, bringing back his normal, kind and nice, caring Oishi. /My Oishi? Where did that come from?/ "Ah. Sorry, Eiji! I was kinda distracted! But c'mere. I'll tell you something." As Eiji leant over, excited, Oishi whispered his suspicions. And the startled, but exurbant Eiji squeaked his surprise, looking tremendously cute. (In Oishi's opinion, anyway.)  
  
"Y-you m-mean... Buchou- and... You. They. Fuji?!?!"  
  
Oishi smiled and shrugged, picking up his bag and standing up as the train lurched to a stop. "Maybe. It seems so..."  
  
"Nya!! But Oishi's NEVER wrong!!"  
  
With a laugh and a few chuckles, the Golden Pair walked out of Tokyo station.  
  
Behind them, Inui's glasses glinted in an almost scary manner, and wrote something down in his notebook.  
  
Kaido looked at his senpai, blushing, and smiled. He never knew that Inui could be like that... Slipping into his own world, the second year walked on.  
  
In the hospital, Yuuta fluffed up his brother's pillows, and let the older boy lean back on them again. The latter smiled, and did so, sighing in contentment. His voice was barely a whisper, and breathy when he spoke. "You don't have to pamper me so much, you know. You have school to attend."  
  
The St Rudolph player simply shrugged and poured his brother a glass of water, and handed it to him. "I don't mind, it's not like I didn't know what they were teaching already, anyway. I'm just worried about you."  
  
Fuji smiled, weakly, and took a sip of his water before speaking. It was just right. Not too cold, but not warm. "But you've already done so much. And calling my friends, too. Thank you so much. I promise, I'll bake you a Brazo Mercedes cake when I get the chance." Yuuta smiled at this, he knew that his brother's baking was- to say it simply, genius. And Brazo Mercedes was his favourite cake, though he knew that it was so much trouble, separating egg whites form the yolks, cooking them separately...  
  
"Ok. I'll hold that to you!"  
  
Fuji laughed, but stopped soon enough, out of breath. It was then that Yuuta chose to leave. "I'll see you later," he promised. "When your friends come, I'll bring them in."  
  
As he left, a tear almost made it's way down his cheek, though he stopped it form falling, and sat heavily on a couch, putting his head into his hands. His brother... was strong, stronger than he could ever be. Even till now, that same, calculating, giving aura was about him, though others usually didn't notice it. They only saw that niceness of Fuji, but not what Fuji really was.  
  
He was sad.  
  
Alone, but by choice.  
  
And to keep others from getting too close, he had set up a barrier around himself, acting noce, but hiding behind his smile, not really smiling, though, and doing what he knew other people wanted him to do. That was, of course, if he chose.  
  
But Yuuta knew better.  
  
That laugh earlier, was so fake. Of course, he hardly knew the difference, if there was any, but his brother's eyes were open then, looking out the window, and he had seen the infinite sadness in them, of his situation. If his eyes had been closed, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.  
  
Yuuta wasn't as naïve as he thought himself to be, though.  
  
He knew a lot of things.  
  
A lot of things about his brother that would surprise others.  
  
He wasn't really known for his sensitivity, but he knew that his brother was sad because of having to leave the tennis club. But Fuji Shuusuke had an ulterior motive, he was sure. /Aniki never has no ulterior motive./ He thought wryly, smiling into his hands.  
  
And if he guessed correctly, it was someone. After all, Fuji never really was serious with much. He was hardly serious, taking things for granted, doing them with minimal effort and yet getting good results. And he was serious in tennis. Not overly serious, or he would've been captain by now, but serious enough, that he was well known, a significant figure in the tennis world. And that was something.  
  
It was as if... As if he was trying to get close to someone, who was good as well.  
  
And he wanted to be /just/ good enough, but not overly good to scare the person away, or to fire up rivalry between them.  
  
But Yuuta only knew one person who was 'better' than his Aniki.  
  
His eyes lit up, and he smirked. "What a nice choice, aniki... So much unlike you." /Tezuka Kunimitsu.../  
  
"But I suppose, opposites do attract."  
  
"Fuji-san!"  
  
The St Rudolph's player looked behind him, to see the whole Seigaku regulars' team walking towards him. He smiled and walked over, shaking their hands. Tezuka, of course. He had sounded worried on the phone, but he looked like hell. /Could it be that he has a thing for aniki too?/ Yuuta thought, smiling.  
  
Then there was Eiji, Oishi, Kaido, Inui, Momoshiro, Kawamura. And of course, the brat. Echizen, he meant.  
  
"Come this way, aniki is in room 288. He can't speak much though, he gets breathless quite easily." He knocked on the door, and opened it. "Aniki, your friends are here to see you."  
  
There was a collective, heavy silence behind him, like a thundercloud ready to shout it's fury. He knew that the scene must've come as a shock, seeing Fuji Shuusuke helpless and vulnerable like this was not a typical sight.  
  
Tezuka was silent as he saw Fuji lying there, looking so... weak  
  
Save for the fact that Tezuka knew he wasn't as vulnerable mentally. Fuji was never vulnerable in that manner. He sighed, and offered the closest he could get to a smile as his eyes met Fuji's smiling ones. As long as he was smiling, Fuji never was vulnerable. The walls would still be up, as long as his eyes were closed, and smiling.  
  
He tried to ignore the drip inserted into Fuji's arm, the paleness- almost sheet white, of Fuji's face, and the semblance of tiredness and hopelessness in Fuji's voice, as he spoke.  
  
"Saa, everyone, thanks for visiting me... Please take seats. How's school?"  
  
A/N: HOW WAS IT?! I think this chapter came out kind of well, though there are mixed kinds of moods in it, 'cause I didn't write it at one go. I know I said last chapter, they would receive some news, right? I'm sorry, but the 'pairings' took up most of the chapter, and I didn't want it to be too long. I promise it's going to be in the next chapter, where TEZUKA'S GOING TO TELL FUJI how he feels. .  
  
And, by the way, I'm sorry that I'm asking this, but... Could I get at least three reviews for this chapter? I really need to know if anyone's reading, and what's their opinion. 'Cause though I know people are reading, I feel kind of bad that only one or two reviewed. (Special thanks to those who did!! glomps them) I promise that I'll have my replies next chappie.  
  
Next chappie's going to be full of stuff... I'm going to start it straightaway!!  
  
Ja-ne, Vanilla Fox 


	4. News

Going Away

A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic

Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]

Pairings: TEZFUJI FOREVER!! Also, Inui-Kaidoh, and Oishi-Eiji… I hope you were happy with last chapter!

Disclaimer: All this do not belong to me, I'm not making any profit form this. I'm not even sure if the plot is mine! .

Summary: Finally, the main disclosure… Tezuka's confession, and the doctor's news. (Really!)

Notes: Thanks much for the reviews, everyone. I'm so glad! Uhm… all the thank-yous are at the end, by alphabetical order, if I'm not wrong… And please look out for some 'developments', I got inspiration from n/a's review, and my reply. . I'm just gonna make things harder for Fuji and Tezuka… evil laugh

Last Chapter:    

Save for the fact that Tezuka knew he wasn't as vulnerable mentally. Fuji was never vulnerable in that manner. He sighed, and offered the closest he could get to a smile as his eyes met Fuji's smiling ones. As long as he was smiling, Fuji never was vulnerable. The walls would still be up, as long as his eyes were closed, and smiling.

He tried to ignore the drip inserted into Fuji's arm, the paleness- almost sheet white, of Fuji's face, and the semblance of tiredness and hopelessness in Fuji's voice, as he spoke.

"Saa, everyone, thanks for visiting me… Please take seats. How's school?"

Chapter 4

"Fuji, are you feeling better?" Tezuka asked, standing at the foot of his friend's bed. Oishi and the rest had finished talking to the prodigy, and suspiciously, (at least to Tezuka) Kawamura had been the one to spend the longest time in the room.

"Yeah." Fuji replied, a bit of colour coming back to his cheeks there was a smile on his face that clearly said 'I'm- fine-so-don't-worry-about-me' but Tezuka, after years of being stoic and poker faced, knew the small details of expression, down to the littlest twitch of an eyebrow. It came useful most of the time, finding out who was lying about skipping tennis practice. But this time, it came more useful, being able to decipher Fuji's moods.

He sat down on the chair next to Fuji's bed, and looked at the boy closely. It didn't seem like he was in a bad mood, Tezuka thought. But he had to be sure that Fuji was serious and feeling well, before he could say anything. Should he say what he wanted to say, and Fuji still said no, then he would know that it was not because of anything the prodigy was in, but because he simply did not feel that way. "Open your eyes."

"Pardon?"

"Fuji- could you look at me?" He requested again, facing Fuji.

The boy did so, but still with a smile on his face. Tezuka sighed. "Please…" He kind-of begged, his voice coming out with a pleading note that he did not appreciate. He did not want to be seen as weak, especially by this person, and in this situation. But it seemed to work, as slowly, Fuji opened his eyes, a clear neon-sign that showed he was concerned, and sad, behind it.

Tezuka frowned at this. Why was Fuji sad? What had happened? He sighed, though, and tried all he could, to smile. It came out as the slight quirking of his lips, a kind of watery smile that showed his nervousness. "I'm fine," He reassured Fuji, and began what he wanted to say. ",I- I'm just a bit nervous, because I really want to say something, and I don't know how you'll take it."

Suddenly, Fuji's eyes snapped open even wider, showing alarm. He supposed that it was kind of a 'fight-or-flight' thing, he only opened his eyes when he was scared, surprised, or angry, it had seemed to Tezuka, and he paused to let Fuji speak. "I- Buchou, could I stay in the club? I know, not as a player, but maybe I could-"

He stopped as Tezuka smiled, a genuine, amused smile. Fuji felt indignant at this, frowning. "I don't see what's funny, I just want to st-"

"I- I'm sorry, Fuji. It's not that. I have no intention of booting you out of the regulars, much more, the club. I- It's something else…" He trailed off, and it was Fuji's turn to be amused, as he detected a faint trace of pink on the usually sober captain's face. But he tried not to let it show, as he sensed the significance of the situation. "I… Fuji- I…"

Outside, (A/N: grins I'm being evil, I know… But this is the ehrm 'development' I was talking about.) the team was seated, talking to Yuuta in low tones, inquiring and assuring, and giving their well-wishes. They were in the middle of talking about the new racket, when Doctor Kirisawa came up, sweating and panting slightly, waving his clipboard around as if to swat their helping hands away. However, Yuuta seemed to understand, and plucked it from his fingers, scanning the page quickly, before his fingers, gripping it tighter and tighter, grew too numb to hold it.

The unfortunate piece of plastic fell to the floor, papers-a-rustling. "N-no way…"

"What- Yuuta-san? What's wrong?" Eiji queried, supporting the younger boy's shoulder and steadying his swaying body. His team-mate's brother sat down, eyes wide and with a look of distraught on his face.

"What the-?!" Kaido had picked the clipboard up, and read it before handing it over to the sympathizing doctor. The clipboard was held in mid-air, stopping right before the doctor's grasp. The mamushi's voice came out a croak, his eyes wide with shock as well. "D-does this mean?"

Doctor Kirisawa nodded sadly. "Yes… Shuusuke's condition was worse than we had thought… It was fortunate that was had run a test. The blood pressure tests we had run earlier seemed a bit high, and when we finally took some more tests just in case, yes, we do think that Shuusuke does have a heart problem. Mrs Fuji has been notified, she is on her way, then we may discuss this."

Yuuta and the Seigaku regulars sat there, dumbfounded, and were surprised when the St Rudolph student chuckled wryly. "Aniki's always been sickly, but I never knew it could be this bad. Kirisawa-san, why wasn't it detected earlier? Aniki's been in and out of this hospital as long as I could remember…" Everyone took note of this. They never knew that the ever-smiling Fuji was hiding something like this.

Doctor Kirisawa simply sighed. "A doctor carefully questions and examines anyone suspected of heart trouble for evidence of pain, fatigue, abnormal heartbeat, and so on. He listens to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope. Sometimes, a heart murmur, a rushing noise heard through the stethoscope, provides a clue to a heart problem. A faint murmur can be normal, but a loud one usually indicates a diseased heart valve or other trouble. A chest X ray is usually taken to get a picture of the heart and lungs. An electrocardiogram reveals the electrical activity of a patient's heart. Shuusuke's always had a heart murmur, but it wasn't loud enough to be scared about.

            A doctor can also rely on cardiac catheterization and angiography to diagnose heart disease. Cardiac catheterization involves slipping a catheter, a long tube, through veins into the heart to learn such things as how much blood the heart is pumping, whether its valves are damaged, and whether it is contracting as it should. Angiography involves injecting dye through a catheter into the heart so that subsequent X rays will reveal the internal anatomy of the heart and the blood flow through it. But we never tested him this way, because of the anaemia. I had always thought that his healthy lifestyle was alright enough, but…"

            He trailed off, sighing. "At least, it's been detected. We should start more tests soon, to see how bad it is…"

            Fuji's blue eyes were wide at the sentence that had just left his captain's lips. "T-Tezuka…  Are- are you sure?" e whispered, not because he was weak, but because he simply was too shocked to breathe properly. "I…"

            "It's alright. I'm sorry, Fuji, for bothering you. I- Are you alrgiht?!" He said out loud, seeing his friend's face turn really, really white, then really, really, red, and finally, a bright pink. There was suddenly a genuine smile on Fuji's face, and the happiness in Fuji's eyes made Tezuka's heart rate double.

            "Of course I'm alright… I- Tezuka…. I think I've fallen in love with you to-"

            He was suddenly cut off by a very tight hug, and smiled over Tezuka's (his koi's, if you might.) shoulder, before bringing his arms up to hug his captain back. They stayed like that for a while, until Tezuka pulled away, but still holding Fuji by he shoulders. He was /smiling/. And quite widely, too, compared to his usual standards. "Fuji- I… Thank you."

            His lover's usual smile slipped back in place, as the door began to open, and he leaned over faster than anyone would've thought possible, pecked Tezuka on the cheek, and went back to his bed, all before Yuuta, Mrs Fuji and Doctor Kirisawa had entered. And the sight that greeted them certainly was odd, as a smiling-widely Fuji asked a quite-pink (can you just imagine?) Tezuka to hand him a glass of water. Yuuta looked in between them, and suppressed a smirk, as Doctor Kirisawa asked the Seigaku captain to let him talk to Fuji for a while.

            Tezuka had consented, and nodded to Yuuta and his mother in greeting, before slipping past, to join his teammates. Yuuta closed the door slightly behind him, and listened for whatever reactions Tezuka- his aniki's koi, if he wasn't wrong, would have once his team members told him what was happening. Sighing, he leant his head against the doorframe.

            Shuusuke Fuji never was a healthy child. He was anemic, for one, and was born two weeks premature to be put in ICU immediately. They had siad he was ok, after a while, but still, he was fragile. That was the word… fragile, though mentally, he was blessedly strong. Nature had given him a weak body, but still, he was a genius. It was kind of frustrating, having to live up to that, but still, his brother was his brother, and he Yuuta could remember numerous times Fuji had saved him.

            His brother had every right to be happy, Yuuta thought, slipping a glance at Tezuka, who was pale, and had sat down, looking very stern and poker faced. Nobody could miss,  though, the immense concern and aura of anxiety around him. His lips were pressed together so hard, it was nothing more than a thin line, and his hands were weaved together so tightly, the knuckles were turning white.

            "Germany would be the best place…"

            "What?!" His exclamation came out like a hiss, his face like a thundercloud. Yuuta looked at his mother, than at Doctor Kirisawa, then at Fuji. Any semblance of happiness was now nothing more than a flicker, as the prodigy looked away, to gaze out of the window.

            "Yuuta…" His mother began, looking very tired. "Doctor Kirisawa says that the best doctors for this can be found in Germany- it would be best for Shuusuke-"

            "You're not being fair to him, kaa-san. Yumi nee-chan can come with me." Fuji interrupted, sighing and looking very sad.

            "She has a job, and her fiancée-"

            "Yuuta had a life too, kaa-san. Believe me, if I could go alone, I would."

            He looked back and forth, back and forth, as mother and son, both extremely tired, argued. He sighed, and smiled. He was going to be like his brother soon, if he wasn't careful. He was smiling too many fake smiles nowadays. "Aniki, it's alright with me. For how long would we be staying there anyway?"

            Doctor Kirisawa smiled at him, a kind of smile that was pitying, and yet happy, at the same time- Yuuta could learn to hate it, he thought. "Two months, at the most. After which he comes back here, and we monitor him for a few days, before letting him go. After that, Shuusuke only has to come back for regular checkups."

            Stony grey eyes met his brother's closed ones. Only slivers of cerulean showed, and they betrayed his brother's feelings of regret, sadness, and yes, a bit of anger. Yuuta looked away, before slipping out to tell Tezuka what he knew.

A/N: I know this chapter was a bit short, no? But I wanted to keep Fuji and Tezuka's moment in one chapter, so… yeah. The next chapter would be mostly about how they feel, and their reactions, and so on, so forth. I'm being really mean to Fuji, aren't I? There should be four to five more chapters to go, and then… I don't know. That would mean that this would be the first one that I'd have finished.

Angel72 I'm sorry if it was a mean ending… ." Don't worry! Tezuka's confessed, but I'm not sure if they're happy! I have to give them trouble, you know… And thanks for reading this fic!!

Ikyutakei You reviewed all my chapters!!! I can't believe it!! squeals Someone actually took time to review THRICE!! You're the first one to say angst is acceptable. I'm considering two endings… But I just finished writing a REALLLLLLY angst-y TezuFuji fic. I just have to type it out. grins evilly Sorry for scaring you with the pairings thing… Are they too OC?

Kari073 I'm glad you wanted more! wipes tear away minna-san is just too kind to sessha… I know that a concerned Tezu is just too kawaii for words…  And I didn't make you wait! Hah! The two of them are going to get through this… Unfortunately for the updates thing, I can't type out any dates, 'cause of my irregular typing periods. But I try to update every week. . (Take note of 'try'.)

N/a Why didn't you leave your name? Thanks so much for pointing that out, I don't really know much about the condition. I want to do more research on it, though. But it can be serious, 'cause when my grandma died, she had anaemia, and she could barely talk too. But I suppose there is a difference. .;; Thanks so much for giving me your opinion!

Sano . Thanks so much for reviewing! I want to put in more Oishikiku stuff, but the main thing will still be TezuFuji. I'm sorry for making Oishi OC! I just needed someone to figure it out, and no one can be nice /all the time/, right?

Silence Here's the fourth chapter! I hope it's satisfactory…  And you'll just have to keep on wondering! sticks tongue out But it's kinda obvious… light bulb Unless I decide on a plot twist! Mwahahaha…

WinterGal Thanks! singsong voice I updated I updated I updated Hee! I hope you liked these past chapters too!

Youki no ko I'm happy to be of any service! And the Yuuta thing… he's so ignored, and he's so close to Fuji, I thought that he might have mixed feelings about a superior sibling. Thanks so much! If you like Behind-the-Smile-Fuji stories, one that I HIGHLY suggest, is Mona Lisa, by Yumehime. It's really, really, good, if not a bit sad. Also, A TezuFuji, Akuma no Hitomi. .

R&R, onegai!! Oh, and for the angst-loving, I have just posted an angst-tragedy tezufuji as well. Please do read it too.

Ja-ne,

Vanilla Fox


	5. Decisions

Going Away A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic  
  
Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]  
  
Pairings: I think you'd know by now....  
  
Disclaimer: If I said that Tenipuri belonged to me... Would you believe me? It belongs to Konomi-sensei! slips Fuji into pocket  
  
Summary: The couple's, and Yuuta's thoughts on Fuji leaving, and Tezuka's decision... Relationship developments, I suppose.  
  
Notes: Being so nice to me, here's a thank-you and because holidays are a week form now. Thanks so much for your constructive reviews, everyone! I'm a very happy person right now, seeing as MIDYEARS ARE OVER!! cheers Only dampener is, I'm the one who the (unfinished) project got dumped on, so, being leader, I have to finish the whole thing by myself... In four days time. And I failed my French test by three marks. sigh  
  
Last Chapter:  
  
Doctor Kirisawa smiled at him, a kind of smile that was pitying, and yet happy, at the same time- Yuuta could learn to hate it, he thought. "Two months, at the most. After which he comes back here, and we monitor him for a few days, before letting him go. After that, Shuusuke only has to come back for regular checkups."  
  
Stony grey eyes met his brother's closed ones. Only slivers of cerulean showed, and they betrayed his brother's feelings of regret, sadness, and yes, a bit of anger. Yuuta looked away, before slipping out to tell Tezuka what he knew.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Germany?"  
  
Yuuta nodded at Tezuka's question of assurance. He sighed and let his sadness show as he saw the senpai put his head in his hands. The rest of the team wisely found other things to do, but Oishi was trying to make an obviously depressed Eiji feel better. He hardly knew how it felt to lose a friend, because he hardly had nay, much more, a best friend... Yuuta sighed. It just wasn't any time for him to think of himself. But come to think of it... Mizuki was the only one who could even come close... He sighed again.  
  
Oishi looked over at Yuuta, who was looking severely shaken and... sad. And Oishi knew, he was making a large sacrifice, leaving Japan, and then having a two month blank on his school record. He bit his lip, and jade eyes slipped to meet his doubles partner's. It was as if there was an unspoken agreement between them, and Eiji tried to smile, with it coming out watery and shaky. Together, they stood up and walked down the hall, giving a by-your-leave before doing so. But Tezuka didn't seem to hear as he merely nodded.  
  
Yuuta took the seats that had been vacated, right across Tezuka. "Germany... You've been there, haven't you, Tezuka-san?"  
  
The third year merely nodded, sighing. "It's not a bad place, everyone tries hard to be nice. It's just that you have to speak English or German most of the time." He smiled wryly at his memories of attempted German conversations. "But Fuji's best subject is English, so I wouldn't worry about that." He smiled at the thought, remembering numerous times that the prodigy had been dragged onto stage for any sort of speech, or play, or whatnot.  
  
"Yeah. Aniki's good at languages. He speaks a bit of German too. And French. And Spanish. And Mandarin..." He chuckled at that. "Basically, he's good at almost anything."  
  
Tezuka lifted his head from his hands and looked at Yuuta. "Almost?"  
  
"Aniki never was very good with feelings and such. He forces himself to hide behind his smile, and live as if there's nothing wrong, instead of trying and getting hurt." The young boy replied, leaning against the covers. But he sat up abruptly as the doctor and his mother left Fuji's room. The elderly woman looked tired, and smiled at Tezuka and Yuuta, before departing. Doctor Kirisawa walked over and sat heavily beside Yuuta.  
  
"I'm getting too old for this..." He ran a hand through what was left of his hair, and read through his clipboard. "All in all, Shuusuke's going to be flown to Germany four days from now, and another week later, he's going to be tested, two weeks, the operation, and then..." He sighed.  
  
"Kirisawa-san... Why is Fuji going to be operated on?"  
  
The old man looked at Tezuka and smiled. "You're lucky- the both of you are lucky." Ignoring Tezuka's discomfort, he continued on as if he hadn't said anything. "It's not yet positive if Shuusuke's going to be operated on, but the chances are high. If he does need to be operated on, it'll be for a pace maker, to control his heartbeat. After that, it should be somehow a smooth sailing." The doctor said, smiling. "You should go talk to him, you know. He's all alone in that room..." he chuckled as abruptly, Tezuka stood and made a beeline for Room 288.  
  
Inside, Fuji couldn't help it, as soon as his mother and the doctor had left, he turned on his side, and let the tears fall. This was a sight /not/ to see. Fuji was strong, he was one of the strongest, he was the forever composed, mostly smiling boy, he couldn't be daunted... But he couldn't help, especially at this moment, feel the tiniest bit of self- pity. Even the strongest humans were still human.  
  
And desperation and sadness were very human emotions. Nobody could blame him, that it felt terrible to have to leave what you loved, to have to stop playing what you wanted to play... He sighed, and instead, choked, his tears falling harder. It was getting slightly hard to breathe, but... A shuddering breath left him, and Fuji looked up into the endless whiteness of the ceiling. He closed his eyes, but they immediately snapped open, as something light and feathery brushed his face, pushing the tears away from his face.  
  
"Tezuka..." Hastily, he looked away, and wiped his tears away. To his surprise, his captain turned him around, and held his face to meet his eyes. The calm of the tea-coloured pools made his somehow, calm down as well. Fuji gave a watery smile. "Thank you... for being here."  
  
"...I want to be here, there isn't any need to thank me, you know."  
  
"But, it's still just right that I do thank you."  
  
The two of them smiling, holding onto one another for support, let go of their worries, if just for a while, to bask in the happiness that had come with the bad news. Still smiling, but with his eyes open, Fuji looked at Tezuka, who smiled back, a little surprised, but extremely happy with the wonderful sight of Fuji trusting him so much.  
  
"Tezuka... I'm very thankful and all... But will you be able to wait for me?"  
  
He laughed, and leant forward, their noses almost touching. "I've decided, Fu-"  
  
"I think it would be fine even if you called me Shuusuke, you know."  
  
"Aa..." He looked at his koi, smiling. "Anyway, Shuusuke, I've decided. I'm coming with you."  
  
"What?" Fuji asked, his voice faltering. Tezuka was almost scared that he had offended him, but Fuji's concerned eyes peered over at him. "B- But Tezuka. your studies, your tennis, all the team- your parents..." At the latter's laughter, Fuji shut up, just to listen to the sound that was (to him) the most wonderful...  
  
"Fu-Shuusuke, I don't mind. Do you really think I won't be able to catch up? My parents would allow it, of course! My mother works in Germany, and it wouldn't be a hassle to reschedule my bi-monthly checkup there to an earlier date." He looked at the awestruck, silent boy. "And if I'm to call you Shuusuke, I would greatly appreciate you using Kunimitsu. Are yo- oof!"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, Fuji had launched himself off the bed (not really, just leant forward...) and hugged Tezuka tight, tears falling from his eyes again. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Aishteru, Kunimitsu..."  
  
"Aa. Aishteru."  
  
Outside, Yuuta smiled, and leant against the wall, Fuji's food forgotten- still on a tray in his hands. Suddenly, things started to get brighter, he thought. That would mean, that he would be able to stay behind. He would be able to study, play tennis, stay in St Rudolph's... The smile suddenly turned into a grin as he thought of some things to tease his brother about. "Yokatta..."  
  
Two days later, it was all settled, Fuji was staying in a hospital not far from Tezuka's dad's company apartments. He was going to stay with Fuji, and go back with him as well. It was only the next day, however, that he was able to tell the Seigaku team.  
  
Reactions were varied, from stunned silence, to, yes- some cheers. (Tezuka: 20 laps!) Oishi, and the regulars though, stayed back as he dismissed everyone. The vice captain was worried. "Tezuka, is everything alright? Your hand..."  
  
"I'm fine." He answered levelly, before packing his white tennis racket into his bag. However, the hovering presence of the team made him stop, and look at them. Eiji was the first one to speak again.  
  
"Buchou... What about the competitions?"  
  
"We'll be back by then." He murmured in reply, thinking of what Fuji might possibly be doing now.  
  
"We?" Echoed Momoshiro, frowning. "What do you mean, senpai?"  
  
Suddenly, everyone seemed enlightened, hearing the 'we' and the news about Tezuka going to Germany. Even the usually indifferent Echizen spoke up. "You mean, you're going with Fuji-senpai to Germany?" The whole team looked at Tezuka, who suddenly felt something weird... /Deer in headlights/ he thought, sighing. Even Kaido was looking at him, and Inui's pen was poised to start writing.  
  
"Yes," He sighed, over the reactions, "I am going with him, but I will also be going for my checkup there."  
  
Suddenly, Oishi was in front of him, smiling, and oddly enough, was pushing him out slowly, firmly clasping Tezuka's hand around his bag strap. The captain could do nothing but follow, as he was already overpowered with the regulars helping him leave faster. Somehow, he knew this was a cause for suspicion, but left anyway. When he was finally puched out of the club room's door, he saw as Eiji stood at the doorway, waving. "Have a nice time with Fujiko-chan, buchou!" Somehow, he didn't think it would have been wise to reply, as throes of laughter came from behind the acrobatic player.  
  
"Aa. Ja-ne, Oishi, take care of them. We'll be leaving the day after, so make sure that training goes smoothly!"  
  
"Hai, Buchou!"  
  
Back facing them, the team didn't see the smile- however small it was, on Tezuka's face. He shook his head as he turned a corner, and looked up at the clear sky. "We'll get through this, Shuusuke. Together." Chuckling to himself, he mentally blushed, thinking of how... romantic he suddenly became.  
  
In the hospital, Yuuta spoke to Fuji face to face, in a teasing, yet serious manner, thinking only of his brother's safety, and feelings. Fuji saw this, and was smiling genuinely again. Though his brother and him were considered.... Distanced, they were, after all, quite different.  
  
Yuuta was more... outgoing, louder, as some would say, though he wasn't as closed, he too, wasn't that open with others. The tough façade usually scared potential friends off, and Fuji was happy that the St Rudolph tennis club had, to a certain extent, accepted his ototou. Though he didn't like Mizuki... that manager guy seemed to be the closest to Yuuta, despite (to Fuji) his bad influence.  
  
"Hmph. You're so closed up, aniki. Just admit that you really do love Tezuka-senpai, and that you're really happy he's going with you instead of me."  
  
"Whatever you say..."  
  
"Don't you 'whatever you say' me! If I'm not wrong, you're on a first name basis now?" At Fuji's blush, he grinned triumphantly. For all he knew, only their mother and elder sister called him Shuusuke. "Don't you do anything... too /exciting/ in Germany, okay? Nobody's gonna be there... Maybe I /should/ go..."  
  
"Yuuta!" Protested a pink Fuji, who was pouting quite adorably. His younger brother was grinning happily, at this rare moment when Fuji's walls were down, and they were speaking on friendly terms, teasing, playing. It was infrequent, and if he remembered correctly, the last time they had a conversation like this was before he went to junior high. The memory made him want to sigh, but he suppressed it, and continued to smile.  
  
"Oh... yeah, you need to take care of your pulse, and your heart... Hm... I wonder if Tezuka-san'll try anything... /to thrill/?" He ended up on the floor, seeing his brother turn bright neon pink. It did not go well with his auburn hair, maybe that was why he hated blushing so much. "Aniki hontou ni kawaii!! WAAhahahaha..." He laughed out loud, and soon enough, Fuji was laughing with him.  
  
"Yeah, he is kawaii, isn't he?"  
  
The brothers suddenly stopped, though still red in the face. And Fuji, already pink, turned a darker shade of pink as he recognized the voice. Yuuta smirked, and stood up, extending a hand, which the person took. "Tezuka-san. Aa... see, he's turned even pinker..." He chuckled quietly with Tezuka, who was smiling and chuckling as well, as he came in with a fresh bouquet of flowers- irises, Fuji's favourite, it had seemed. As he leant over to kiss Fuji quickly, Yuuta smirked behind him and wagged his finger at his brother, who flushed furiously. He laughed again, before leaving the two alone.  
  
"Oishiiiii..." The vice captain turned to face his doubles partner, who was grinning widely and shouldering his racket. "I told you- you weren't wrong!" He laughed, and took a drink form his water bottle. Oishi was smiling in his usual manner, watching his partner.  
  
"Aa. I suppose so. I'm happy for the two of them. I think Fuji and Tezuka have had a feeling for some time now, and they just weren't sure about it." He murmured, wiping his face.  
  
"Fujiko-chan? And buchou? For a long time? Are you sure? Nyaa! I didn't notice..." Eiji exclaimed loudly, turning heads in their direction. Inui almost immediately excused himself from his conversation with his kouhai (wonder which one?) and jotted down notes.  
  
"What is that, Inui-senpai?" The mamushi queried, looking almost uncharacteristically curious.  
  
At that thought, Inui took note of it, and jotted it down on Kaido's page. "Betsuni. I just suspect, that Oishi and Eiji too, have something going on... And that Oishi has known about Tezuka and Fuji for a while now..." He mumbled, smirking.  
  
"Sou..." Inui looked down at where Kaidoh was sitting- the second year had leant his head against the chain link fence, and had closed his eyes, breathing heavily. His water bottle was held loosely in his grip, almost falling. Inui smiled mentally, and half wished that he could draw, or had a camera right there.  
  
"Is it just me, or have all the regulars started pairing up?" Momo commented, sighing. He looked at the profile of his kouhai beside him. The boy was silently drinking his Ponta, not saying anything. He was just sitting there, taking sips of his drink every now and then.  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Mada mada da ne, senpai. You shouldn't bother about things that don't concern you."  
  
Momo gave the boy a sideways look, and sighed. He stood up and began to walk away, to get his water bottle. Putting his hands in his pocket, he mumbled something, which Echizen barely heard. But when he did, it gave him something to think about.  
  
"But it does concern me, when I want it to happen too."  
  
"Mada mada de ne... Hontou."  
  
A/N: How was this chapter? I felt very weird when I wrote the last part, I'm not really that much into that pairing... and this is the first time I'm actually attempting pairings other than Tezu Fuji. I'm hoping some kind reviewers would give suggestions on that part. " hint hint Hahaha...  
  
El I should be the one saying thanks! I hope that Yuuta isn't predicting too much, though. They're siblings after all...  
  
Ikyutakei bows Thanks so much! I'm trying very hard to get them back to character... But I'm not sure Reads fic again I think the laughing thing was a bit weird, but.... I don't' know... Sigh I hope your computer gets better soon!   
  
Silence You've given me nothing but compliments, and you've reviewed again! squeals thanks!! I'm going to try harder, so that it'll be nicer!  
  
Thanks so much, everyone for reviewing!  
  
Ja ne, Vanilla Fox  
  
P.S. My longest chapter yet! 


	6. Beginning

Going Away A Prince Of Tennis [Tennis no Ohjisama] Fic  
  
Warning: Contains Shounen-Ai [aka Yaoi]  
  
Pairings: Tezuji, Kikoishi, Inukai, Momochizen Such cute names...  
  
Disclaimer: Fine!! Tenipuri belongs to Konomi-sensei... But Fuji belongs to MEEE!!! gets hit by Tezuka  
  
Summary: Time for Tezuka and Fuji to leave... What awaits them in Germany? Tezuka sweetness! (Kind of OOC...)  
  
Notes: Holiday holiiiiiiday is in a few more days! I'm not so happy though... I still need to study, because my grades were awful! I usually get straight As... now, I got everything at B, except for Art... I'm usually top for English and Literature, but... I failed Lit, and English was horrible... I''m not sure I'll be able to type for a while... Parents were very angry... sigh (What are the chances peeps are gonna kill me for uploading so late?  
  
Last Chapter:  
  
"Mada mada da ne, senpai. You shouldn't bother about things that don't concern you."  
  
Momo gave the boy a sideways look, and sighed. He stood up and began to walk away, to get his water bottle. Putting his hands in his pocket, he mumbled something, which Echizen barely heard. But when he did, it gave him something to think about.  
  
"But it does concern me, when I want it to happen too."  
  
"Mada mada de ne... Hontou."  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Take care of my son for me, Kunimitsu-kun. Thank you for being such a good friend." Mrs Fuji repeated for the umpteenth time that day, smiling at her son's 'good friend'. From behind her, Yuuta struggled to stifle his snickers. Tezuka, though a good person, was hardly openly altruistic.  
  
But he couldn't blame either for not correcting his mother. He couldn't, and didn't even want to imagine his mother's reaction if she were told that Fuji and Tezuka's relationship was much more than that... He snorted- but quickly turned it into a cough, and covered his mouth to cover his smile, as he stood in front of the two. "The team's waiting for you. Have a nice time- good luck. Take care of yourself, aniki, Tezuka-san." As he shook his brother's koi's hand, he couldn't help but smirk, at the smile obvious in Tezuka's eyes.  
  
He and his brother honestly wondered, how they knew these things, and yet, their mother was so... clueless.  
  
Environment over genes, they supposed.  
  
"Aa. Daijobu, I will take care of Shuusuke. We will come back... fine." He murmured in reply, nodding curtly. Mrs Fuji smiled quizzically at the comment, but didn't seem to realize anything. Instead, eyes twinkling, Fuji Yumiko, the eldest child, and only girl in the Fuji family, smiled gently at the two of them.  
  
"I'm pretty sure you will. Take care of yourselves. Don't... strain yourself too much, Shuusuke." Yumiko chided teasingly, with a sly undertone, smiling and kissing him on the cheek. Fuji merely smiled, and nodded.  
  
"Did you bring your medication with you?"  
  
Nod.  
  
"Remember to tell Tezuka where it is."  
  
Nod.  
  
"Do the stewards know about your condition?"  
  
Nod.  
  
"Are you sure that the ambulance will be at the airport on time?"  
  
Nod.  
  
"Don't do anything naughty?" ...  
  
She laughed, a foxy- sly kind of laugh, as her younger brother turned pink at the cheeks, and there and then, Tezuka knew whom Fuji had gotten his femininity from. Down to the last subtle jab. He made a mental point to himself, to not mess with- and avoid at all costs, Fuji Yumiko.  
  
They turned to face the Seigaku regulars, who were all wearing sad smiles on their faces, some, like Oishi, a worried frown. Fuji fought the urge to scowl. Instead, he moulded his voice into a smooth tone, and delivered his usual comforting speech. "Saa... Daijobu des, minna! We'll be back, and besides, we'll be able to play again, the both of us, when we come back. Ok?"  
  
"Nyaa!! I want to go with you!" Eiji wailed, launching himself on Fuji, who smiled and patted his head, his usual mask of a smile on his face.  
  
"It's alright. We'll be back. Besides," he murmured into Eiji's ear, "You wouldn't leave Oishi to be sad, right?"  
  
Almost at once, the red headed third year nodded, and let go of his best friend. "But- Fuji...Aa, you'd just better come back as soon as you can!"  
  
It wasn't that Fuji had sensed that underlying of stronger emotions than plain friendship, but he chose to ignore it, seeing that to him, it seemed the least harmful way out. But that didn't stop Eiji from feeling rejected and confused with himself. That was why Fuji made sure that he was turning the boy more and more towards their vice captain, maybe even more than he himself had known.  
  
"I promise, we will." Tezuka stated firmly, disrupting Fuji's thoughts. "I'll make sure Shuu-Fuji comes back."  
  
Everyone nodded, and said their farewells, and watched, as the two boarded their plane, and as the Boeing flew off into the sky, soon, nothing but a distant dot in the endless, infinite-seeming expanse.  
  
In the plane, Tezuka looked at Fuji, who was sitting beside the window, looking out onto the miniature houses and buildings... He smiled slightly, a miniscule curling up of the lips, in a comforting manner, and put an arm around his koi. "Everything will be alright..." Fuji looked at him, blue eyes showing. And in them, it was just like a book, no- actually, like a child's read-easy book. Everything was bared before Tezuka, and he was almost overwhelmed by Fuji's trust in him.  
  
"I'm quite sure too, since you're with me, but..." And then, Tezuka saw it. He realized what was making Fuji so shifty. And he was touched that the usually guarded, and independent prodigy, had chosen to show him.  
  
He was scared.  
  
"Shuusuke... It'll all be alright, I promise." He murmured into the vanilla-y scented hair of his lover, rocking them both back and forth it a soothing, almost lulling manner. He felt, rather than saw, Fuji's smile come back, as he kissed him on the forehead. "It's alright... With me, if you... let your mask down." He said, choosing his words, or at least, forcing them to come out. "I- I'd be scared too, if I were in your situation."  
  
"Arigato, Kunimitsu... I know that meant a lot." He said, smiling with his eyes open. For the indefatigable, cool, collected Seigaku captain to actually admit it, that he too, was- or could be, scared... "Aishteru."  
  
"Mmm..." Tezuka replied, smiling. And suddenly, he saw the possibilities of an almost-a-day-long flight, and living alone, with Fuji, for two months. Most likely, his father was working most of the time, and would leave them relatively alone. And the hospitalization period was only a week and a half, after which they would have to go to the hospital every two days for checkups. That left a lot- quite a bit, at least, of free time... for a lot of... stuff. Tezuka suddenly felt flushed, and tried valiantly to think of 'stuff'. /Shopping, sightseeing, yeah, sightseeing, uhm... the food...STUFF! NOT THAT KIND OF 'STUFF'!!!/ He mentally screamed at himself.  
  
To Fuji's amusement, he contemplated about what was Tezuka thinking when the latter flushed and suddenly had a deathgrip on the arm of the chair. "Ne, Kunimitsu..." He was startled as Tezuka jumped at Fuji's voice so close to his ear. "Are you alright?"  
  
"A-a.... Yeah..." Tezuka mumbled, closing his eyes tightly and opening them again. "Just a headache." He said dismissively, and leant back into the chair, turning his head to face Fuji, who was smiling, thinking (schemingly) about what Tezuka could've been thinking of. He was still the same person, no matter all these... obstacles. He thought, his smile unconsciously turning into a smirk. When Tezuka saw this, he (wisely) pretended to be tired, and tried to sleep.  
  
It was going to be a long flight...  
  
Beside him, Fuji watched the clouds, taking snapshots of nice scenes every now and then. He looked at Tezuka, who was breathing evenly, but too shallowly for him to be really asleep. Fuji smiled at this, but left his koi alone. He smiled and took another shot, but this time, kept the lens focused on Tezuka, who, he could've sworn, flinched. The older boy fought the urge to laugh, but almost failed- it came out as a kind of snicker.  
  
Hearing himself snicker was odd, he reflected, as he closed his eyes and leant against the seat. For once, he felt truly close to the feeling of content. And that wasn't very often. It was more of a... once in a very long while kind of thing. Just right now, he had all the pieces he needed to complete his life, it was just that there were a few obstacles, like for example, his condition. Just the thought of having someone else touch him and cut him... He shuddered.  
  
It seemed that Tezuka felt his movement, and to his delight, the captain thought he was asleep, and put and arm around him. Yeah, he had all the pieces. And Tezuka was the one who was going to help him put everything together. He was thankful. But there was another thing... Yumiko and Yuuta knew, and seemed to accept this relationship of his, but what about his mother? He couldn't care less about his father, but what about Tezuka's parents? Fuji frowned against Tezuka's shoulder, and stopped his sigh. What would come, would come. Just like what had happened, happened, and he couldn't change it.  
  
The thought brought comfort to him, and the frown melted away, for sleep to take it's place. Fuji's last coherent thought was Tezuka looking at him with a smile, and then... Bliss of dreams was supposed to be useless, and sad, because it was only a dream, but... He sighed, and turned over.  
  
"-landing... minutes... wake..."  
  
"Yes...will...ten?" There was a shuffling sound, and Fuji found his soft, and warm nest moving. He scowled in annoyance and tried to find the correct position again, but couldn't. Instead, someone was shaking him softly, and was calling him. Tezuka, he realized, was waking him up. To tease, or not to tease? His mind mocked, bringing a smirk onto his lips, which he immediately wiped away. Good thing the captain didn't see it.  
  
"Shuusuke..."  
  
"Ngh..." He turned to face the other way, nestling himself deeper into the (cramped, but he'd do anything to annoy.) seat, and curled up. Fuji heard his koi give a snort of impatience, and he almost laughed. It was so easy, almost tantalizingly so. But he decided that making a scene in the plane and making his ambulance wait was not a good idea. He was about to start 'waking up', but to his surprise, and, yes, he'd admit it, immense enjoyment, a pair of strong arms lifted him up to be brought down the ramp, to the waiting ambulance.  
  
Tezuka was just too sweet.  
  
Really, under all that, he was such a softy... Fuji smirked at the thought, mentally, of course. He seemed to be doing that a lot more these days. Tezuka was just so much fun to be around... He wondered what his dad might be like, if they even met.  
  
Letting a small yawn go, he' woke up' to look into a pair of warm brown eyes. Tezuka was looking quite edgy, after all, they were on their way to the hospital... But he reached a hand over and squeezed Fuji's hand. Fuji smiled truly in return, and nodded. He turned to the medic who was asking questions, about his condition and so on, and so forth. He felt too sleepy, unusually enough, to reply, but the bespectacled boy started answering all of the questions for him, as if he had... studied, or something. Yeah, Tezuka was just too sweet. (Almost insulin inducing...)  
  
His room was on the eighth floor, with a nice view, of trees, the garden, and the roads. Skyscraper and houses, and buildings were dotted all over, and everything looked so... clean, and neat, and tidy. It was certainly a nice place to be in. And besides his bed, there was a small table, and a cot on the side, for someone to sleep in. There was a miniscule kitchen, if you can even call it that, and a bathroom.  
  
He looked at Tezuka, who was looking from their luggage tickets, to Fuji, and back to the little slips of paper. He smiled at the contemplative boy, and sat on the bed. "You go on and get everything settled, I promise I'll be a good boy." He said with a sickly-sweet-fake innocent tone, that he could've sworn Tezuka had snorted. But the captain merely coughed, and nodded, turning gratefully to Fuji. The luggage they needed was already there, but the rest of their stuff for the two month stay were still waiting to be claimed. "Really." He said with a more sombre tone, smiling. "You go on, just..." He trailed off, uncertain of how to continue.  
  
Tezuka had a ghost of a smile on his pale face as he bent down to give Fuji a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, he had gone off in a swirl of forest green and brown.  
  
His trip to the apartment didn't take long. And as could be expected, his father wasn't there. Instead, the guard at the reception was welcoming and showed him the door, besides giving him keys and directions. It was only fortunate that Tezuka already knew how to speak quite a bit of German, as he asked questions. Judging from the receptionist, the man was very bored with his job, and certainly was scared of his father.  
  
Hesitantly, he asked, before pulling out his keys from his pocket, "Is my father- Mr Tezuka, often home?"  
  
The answer, as was predicted, was in the negative. He fought the urge to smile, and instead, nodded his thanks before going in and scanning the apartment. Another predictable thing. The place was furnished mostly in glass, and chrome, and was quite spacious. Shaking his head, the young man of eighteen (see a/n) quickly set everything in order, and left as soon as he could.  
  
When he had gotten back, Fuji was asleep, or at least, nodding off. A heavyset woman looked at him with surprise, then recognition. Valiantly, she tried to speak English, and in return, Tezuka replied. "He had been waiting for your return. Registration and initial tests are over, everything will start tomorrow." He nodded his thanks, and as she left, he went over to the bed, scooping up, and giving Fuji's hand a squeeze. The boy gave a contented sort of smile, before his eyes closed fully, and he slipped off.  
  
Tezuka looked out the window, and was surprised to see the night sky, and the moon, and the stars so clearly. He sighed and looked at the clock. "8 47" With that, he went into the bathroom with a change of clothing, and went through his nightly rituals. It was going to be an even longer day tomorrow, he thought grimly to himself.  
  
A/N: Aa... My head hurts... I've been getting migraines too frequently these days... I have to go now, but I promise that I'll try hard to make the next chapter will be longer. Gomenasai, everyone. Now you know why I updated early. I'm guessing that this has only about three chapters or so left, then this will be the first fic I ever finished.   
  
Btw, I really suggest all the Tezuji fans to go to LJ and search for TezuFuji Community. It's so... nice. And Arithion's Smile, which is only a few chapters here, is already nearing thirty there. So... Yeah. And Tenipuri Yaoi's also a nice place!   
  
Ja-ne, Vanilla Fox  
  
P.S. Anyone know any remedy for migraines/ headaches? I'd appreciate it greatly. 


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